Year: 2017
Country: US
City: Rimrock, AZ
Label: Boss Tuneage
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 12
Time: 34 min.
Lyrical themes: social issues, politics
Genre: rock
Style: Pop Punk
Higley, the long-gestating project of G-WHIZ's Kevin Carl, have released the LP, CD and digital version of their self-titled debut album today via multiple digital download sites. The band features quite a roster on the other positions with various musicians filling out certain roles during the album's multi-year conception: Bill Stevenson (Descendents), Bob Hoag (Pollen) and James Menefee (River City High), and G-WHIZ bandmates Duane Kiener and Greg Gleason have all contributed at some point or another. Considering the people involved, I think I'm a little surprised that
it's a similarity to Pollen that I hear the most. The slick, distorted
guitar and slightly gravely vocals mesh well with the steady, mid tempo
rhythm section churning the songs along. By the books pop hooks and
chorus melodies pepper throughout the album and you can't deny their
potency and effectiveness. Sometimes the songs feel a little too polished and somewhat clinical. I
wouldn't mind if things went off the rails a bit more and some of the
perfection was traded in for a little chaotic energy. Also the lyrics
do lean towards a sort of confessional travel journal direction. They
can get overly heartfelt at times, particularly on "For A Minute," but
the band is powerful enough to keep things from getting too
sentimental. It's a totally solid debut album and worth checking out,
particularly if you dig Pollen or G-Whiz. The combination of veteran musicians, brilliant melodic voice, punk rock and intelligent lyrics become in a brilliant debut album highly recommended for all those fans of mature punk rock, power pop and conscious lyrics. Excellent
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